Caps, Jackets Play Lets Make a Deal

The Washington Capitals and Columbus Blue Jackets officially make a deal in which Columbus sends solid left wing Jason Chimera in exchange for depth defenseman Milan Jurcina and surprisingly team captain Chris Clark

The Capitals receive probably the best player of the bunch in Chimera, who last year would have posted career highs had he stayed healthy. The 30-year-old veteran carries a reasonable 1.875 cap hit, a fair price for a grinding wing who shows the ability to put up points.

Clark, now the former captain of the Caps, admits to being shocked he was traded. This trade may mark the first time a first-place team traded away their captain, however it was the smart move. The 33-year-old sported a hefty 2.633 million cap hit this year and next, something a contending team simply should not pay for considering he posted two less points than Chimera.

Not only do the Caps get probably the best player in the bunch but they save around 2.4 million in cap space. Combine that with the amount saved when Michael Nylanderleft for Grand Rapids and GM George McPhee looks like a very smart man.

The moves made today do nothing to expunge either Kovalchuk or Niedermayer coming to the nation’s capital. It should be very exciting in DC as we get closer and closer to the trade deadline. As always we hope you enjoyed latest our Trade Rumor articles. You can help NHLHS stay alive by visiting our sponsors to the left or donating at the tab at the top of the page.